Nickname: Beaver State
Area: 96 187 sq.mi. (249 123.2 km2)
Highest point: Mount Hood 11 239 ft. (3425.6 m)
Population: 3 300 900
Capital: Salem
Largest city: Portland

The Western part Oregon is dominated by the Coast Ranges, while the central parts are dominated by the higher chains of the Cascade Mountains. The Blue Mountain lies in the North-Eastern part, while the South-Eastern region is the Oregon Highland. The Western, central and North-Eastern territories are covered with large, primarily evergreen forests. The majority of the South-Eastern region is grassland with meadows, prairie and semi deserted areas. The density of the population decreases when heading from the coast to the internal areas. The largest settlements are Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Eugene and Medford in the West, The Dales, Bend in the middle, and Pendleton, and La Grande in East.

Photo: Country, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by Infinite Wilderness

The largest city of Oregon is Portland, which lies on the riverside of the Columbia River. The city is the center of transportation, education, culture and commerce. It is the home of several higher educational institutions, like the Concordia University, the University of Portland, the Portland State University, and the Marylhurst University. The Pioneer Courthouse Square is the main square in the downtown of Portland. There are different festival and concerts here throughout the whole year. The Old Town and the Chinatown are interesting places to visit. They are full of old buildings, and in Saturdays we can visit the Portland Saturday Market, which is one of the largest markets in the USA dealing with the works of craftsmen. The Pearl District is the shopping and entertainment center of the city. It offers a pleasant time, where various restaurants, bars, trendy shops and galleries are waiting for the visitors. If you’re in the city, visit its popular museum, which are: the Oregon Historical Society, introducing the history of Portland; the Portland Art Museum preserves many works from such famous painters like Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso. If you feel like having a rest, go to the Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park-ban. There are different festivals organized here too. The Hoyt Arboretum has thousands of interesting plant species, and the Oregon Zoo is the largest in the state. They’re both situated in the Washington Park.

Photo: Portland, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by Aster

The capital of Oregon – Salem - is situated south from Portland. It is the center of administration. Places that are worth to visit are: the majestic building of the State Capitol, the Mission Mill Museum, which is a historical monument and the Haille Ford Museum of Art, which is a wonderful artistic collection.

Photo: State Capitol, Salem, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by jigpu

The second largest city of Oregon is situated south of Salem. Eugene is the home of the University of Oregon. It’s worth to visit the artistic center of the city, the Hult Center for Performing Arts.

Photo: Eugene, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by d70focus

The largest city in Mid-Oregon is Bend. It is the center of tourism and wood production. The city is surrounded by enormous forests and high mountains, where one may find several ski resorts. The semi deserted territory of the Oregon Plateau is a bit to the East from the city. The High Desert Museum is dedicated to introduce the life of the native Indians in this area.

Photo: Bend, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by banichiji

The largest city of East-Oregon is Pendleton. The city was once the home of the cowboys, which is remembered within the frames of the famous Pendleton Rode Show in every September. The Round-Up Hall of Fame will introduce the history of rodeos to the visitors. It’s also worth to visit the Pendleton Underground Site, which is a fantastic underground maze.

Photo: Pendleton, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by ArtBrom

Oregon State is extremely rich in natural wonders and sights. It’s recommended to check out its beautiful coastal lime, called Oregon Coast. We may go scuba diving or wind surfing here, or we can sign up for a pleasure boating trip. The state has a lot of ski resorts, which are: the Mount Hood Ski Resort, the Timberline Lodge Ski Area, the Hoodoo Ski Area and the Mount Bachelor Ski Area.

Photo: Mount Hood, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by gmeador

We can also take an excursion to the wonderful Crater Lake National Park, if we want to see the deepest lake in the country. The Hells Canyon Recreation Area is famous for the deepest canyon in the world, created by a river. The further interesting sights are the John Day Fossil Beds Monument, the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, the Steins Mountain, the Wallowa Mountains, and the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Photo: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by HiddenJester


Photo: Hells Canyon, Oregon, USA, flickr.com, by ArtBrom